Trade unions, political parties, women’s groups, student unions, housing agencies and community groups joined forces in Galway on 8th April to stage a major rally on the housing emergency.

The ‘Raise the Roof’ initiative is demanding radical action on the emergency, including significant new investment in a programme of public housing construction through local authorities, action on evictions and rent certainty for tenants, an end to evictions into homelessness and the creation of a new, legal right to housing.

Raise the Roof is comprised of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and One Galway and includes the Union of Students in Ireland, the National Women’s Council and the National Homeless and Housing Coalition.

The rally was called in support of a motion on housing debated that evening by Galway City Council.

PICTURED: Flying the flag for Fórsa at Galway’s #RaiseTheRoof rally on 8th April were (left to right) Tom Browne, Gordon Burke, Padraig Mulligan and Helen Cousins.